Aperture Science Enrichment Center
The Aperture Laboratories are the headquarters of Aperture Science and the main location of Portal and Portal 2. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, the facility is monitored by the computer GLaDOS. Parts of the place were damaged when GLaDOS was "destroyed". Overview Enrichment Center The computer-aided Enrichment Center is apparently the main Aperture Laboratories facility. It is used to test one of Aperture Science's most successful achievements, the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. GLaDOS once filled most of the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin, leading to her Morality Core being added. Test Chambers The Enrichment Center contains numerous "Test Chambers" where test subjects are trained to perform simple to complicated tasks with the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. The tests are monitored by GLaDOS and security cameras. Aperture Science scientists can watch the tests in small offices spread around the test chambers. Each test subject is accommodated in a "Relaxation Vault" with no privacy, as it is set within a test chamber, with transparent walls, and connected to the outside with a portal. A Relaxation Vault typically features a bed, a radio, a toilet saying "Your business is appreciated." after being flushed, and a small table. Located in Test Chamber 00, Chell's vault also contains on the small table a "Portal Test Sequence - Hazard Identification Card" clipboard, and an empty cup. A notable feature among the Test Chambers is the stark atmosphere. All of the walls and floors are a plain gray, and the overall feeling is one of a clinic or clean room. This motif continues until Chell escapes, at which point the atmosphere becomes dark and foreboding while Chell navigates through the innards of the Enrichment Center. The known Test Chambers range from Test Chamber 00 to 19. Maintenance areas These areas are in a very bad condition, suggesting they have been abandoned for a while. There can be seen a pneumatic tube network (with occasional broken tubes) that brings the Weighted Companion Cube and Weighted Storage Cubes into the Test Chambers, elevators bringing the Sentry Turrets and other machinery. During her tests and then her escape, Chell also comes across Ratman dens while going through the maintenance areas. These dens often have obscure scribblings and advice on how to advance. Offices The offices are rooms that the Aperture Science staff used to watch test subjects executing their task in the Test Chambers. They contain chairs and computers and seem to have been last used long ago. Computers seem to be stuck into some sort of loop, some are disconnected, their cases open, and several chairs are knocked over. Clipboards and empty cups are scattered on the desks. Other offices contain projection rooms where a looping slideshow called "Dollar$ and SENSE: Competing with BLACK MESA" can be seen twice. It is currently unknown if the Test Chambers offices were still used after GLaDOS was created. GLaDOS's room GLaDOS is stored in a big room with a small amount of computers, hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Trivia *The projectors used for the "Dollar$ and SENSE" slideshow appear to be based on the model LC-XT1 by the Eiki company. The texture file includes a remote not seen in-game. *One of the ambient sounds heard in the Test Chambers is recycled from one of the Ravenholm's. *"Arbeit Laboratories" ("Arbeit" = "work" in German) can be seen on some crates inside the [[Borealis (cut location)|original Borealis]]. It is possible this name was recycled into "Aperture Laboratories". Gallery Concept art File:Cake steam poster.jpg|Cake poster. File:Glados room concept.jpg|GLaDOS' room. File:Aperture room concept.jpg|Ditto. File:Glados concept3.jpg|GLaDOS detail. File:Glados concept1.jpg|GLaDOS detail. File:Glados concept2.jpg|GLaDOS detail, with Chell. Pre-release screenshots File:Portalbeta012.jpg|Early puzzles. File:Portalbeta01234.jpg|Ditto. File:Portalbeta0123456.jpg|Testing the Rocket Sentry on GLaDOS, using Rollermines as a placeholder. File:Portal early.jpg|Early Test Chamber 00 with placeholder props. File:Portalgun beta.jpg|The early Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device and Weighted Companion Cube in an early Test Chamber 13. Retail screenshots File:Test chamber 00.jpg|Test Chamber 00. File:Testchamber 01.jpg|Test Chamber 01. File:Testchmb02.jpg|Test Chamber 02. File:Testchmb03.jpg|Test Chamber 03. File:Testchmb 04.jpg|Test Chamber 04. File:Chell in-game.jpg|Chell in Test Chamber 04. File:Testchmb 05.jpg|Test Chamber 05. File:Testchmb06.jpg|Test Chamber 06. File:Testchmb07.jpg|Test Chamber 07. File:Testchmb08.jpg|Test Chamber 08. File:Testchmb09.jpg|Test Chamber 09. File:Testchmb10.jpg|Test Chamber 10. File:Testchmb11.jpg|The enhanced Portal Gun in Test Chamber 11. File:Testchmb12.jpg|Test Chamber 12. File:Testchmb13.jpg|Test Chamber 13. File:Testchmb14.jpg|Test Chamber 14. File:Testchmb15.jpg|Test Chamber 15. File:Testchmb a 110027.JPG|Turrets in Test Chamber 16. File:Testchmb a 110024.JPG|Rat Man's den near Test Chamber 16. File:Testchmb16 food.JPG|Test Chamber 17. File:Testchmb017.jpg|Test Chamber 17. File:Testchmb17.jpg|Ditto. File:Testchmb a 130032.jpg|The furnace waiting for the Companion Cube in Test Chamber 17. File:Testchmb a 13001.jpg|Rat Man's den near Test Chamber 17. File:Ratman Den2.jpg|Ditto. File:Testchmb a 140008.jpg|Test Chamber 18. File:Testchmb a 140009.jpg|Ditto. File:Testchmb19.1.JPG|Test Chamber 19. File:Testchmb19 signs.JPG|Signs indicating that after Test Chamber 19 comes the exit and cake. File:Testchmb19 furnace.JPG|The furnace right after the signs. File:Testchmb a 150004.jpg|Typical maintenance area at the end of Test Chamber 19. File:Testchmb a 150005.jpg|Typical messy, decaying Enrichment Center office. File:Testchmb a 1500002.jpg|Typical maintenance area. File:Escape 000006.jpg|Ditto. File:Escape 020000.jpg|Desk and red telephone in GLaDOS' room. File:Escape 020028.jpg|GLaDOS in her room. File:Escape 020029.jpg|Ditto. File:Rocket Sentry.jpg|The Rocket Sentry. File:Escape 020031.jpg|GLaDOS is destroyed. File:Escape 020032.jpg|Ditto. File:Escape 020002.jpg|The remains of GLaDOS near Aperture Laboratories' entrance. File:Escape 020007.jpg|Typical maintenance area of the Aperture Laboratories. File:Escape 020070.jpg|The cake. File:Background20003.jpg|The cake in GLaDOS' room. File:Wet floor sign.png|Unused wet floor sign, humorously referencing the film 300, and the infamous meme "This is Sparta!". While no model exists, the texture file is located in the folder "props_facemovie". List of appearances *ApertureScience.com *''Portal'' *''Half-Life 2: Episode Two'' *''Portal'' ARG *''Portal 2'' Notes and references Category:Portal Category:Aperture Science locations Category:Locations Category:Jeremy Bennett designs